It is well-known now that the Internet has created new business opportunities for traditional businesses by enabling goods and services to be sold on-line. The Internet has also spawned entirely new business centered around on-line transactions. At least one new business that was enabled by the Internet is known as on-line print brokering.
Entities with large, commercial printing needs can frequently fulfill their print need on their own equipment, however, many entities prefer to obtain printing services from print service providers that have the equipment and expertise required to print high-quality work, as it is needed.
On-line print brokering is an on-line (Internet-enabled) printing service that can be provided by one or more print service providers through a third-party or factor who acts as an agent. The third-party broker is embodied as a web site or web page through which communications between a customer and the print service providers takes place but also through which the print job from the customer is transferred between the customer and a print service provider that performs the customer's required service.
Customer information can be vital to a print services provider (as well as any other kind of service provider) that tries to build business through customer-good will. Advertising, promotions or special offers that are of little or no interest to either a customer or a prospective customer are not likely to yield results. Targeted promotions are more likely to yield results if they can be effectively directed to specific customers or types of customers.
Customer information can be obtained in a variety of ways. Developing customer information typically requires customer contact over a period of time. Business transactions and associated communications can frequently provide information as to what is important and what is not important to the customer. Determining the needs of a particular customer of a service provider, including a print provider, over time can provide an economic advantage to service providers trying to develop other business opportunities targeted at existing customers.